Southern River students steal the show

Even the most seasoned entertainers might feel slightly out of their depth performing for an audience of 150 million people.

But at last month’s Australia-China multicultural youth concert, held at All Saints’ College in Bull Creek, a group of Southern River College students handled it with remarkable poise.

Eleven students, from Years 9, 10 and 11, joined forces with a children’s choir from China’s Guangdong province to serve up a show-stopping performance. 

The concert was filmed to be broadcast to more than 150 million viewers in China’s southern provinces later this year. It will feature in a television series called ‘Silk Road Story’, which celebrates the cultural, educational, political and economic ties between Australia and China. 

The students performed a medley of Waltzing Matilda and Mò Lì Huā – a Chinese folksong which translates to 'Jasmine Flower' – and received a resounding ovation for their singing and dancing skills. 

Lauren Hamilton, Mandarin coordinator at Southern River College, was immensely proud of her talented troupe. 

“Most of them had never performed in front of such a big live audience, let alone had cameras trained on their face,” she said.  

“They were confident in their voices and accompanying dance movements and I think the children they were performing alongside gave them a lot of confidence.” 

The performance struck a chord, with one Southern River College student remarking: “It felt like we were a part of something bigger and it’s exciting that our school will be internationally recognised. Maybe we'll get to go to China one day to perform!”

The concert was a highlight of Miss Hamilton’s four-year teaching career. She said it reinforced the importance of exposing students to different cultures, values and life experiences. 

“Performing Mò Lì Huā in Mandarin strengthened the students’ vocabulary and grammar, while providing a deeper understanding of Chinese history and culture,” she said. 

“Seeing them experience this event and talking and laughing with the other performers from China reminded me so much of when I was a student learning Mandarin for the first time in high school and falling in love with the language and culture.  

“It is the most heart-warming, tear-jerking, validating, inspiring and proud feeling to see your students work hard and be passionate.” 

The concert’s success has encouraged Miss Hamilton to pursue a Year 11 and 12 Mandarin pathway for her Southern River College students and continue the school’s ‘Buddy Program’ with Year 3 Mandarin students at nearby Yarralinka Primary School. 

“Mandarin has come really far as a subject in our school,” she said. “In 2022, it was a compulsory language and viewed as a chore for students to learn. 

“But now there is overwhelming demand for Mandarin, with even the current Year 11s and 12s – who never got to learn a LOTE – begging to do the subject. 

“There is a Chinese proverb: ‘To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world’.  

“It’s what I tell my students every day and it’s what drives my teaching and perspectives.”  

Miss Hamilton was asked to perform MC duties at the concert, which was organised by the Western Australian Guangdong Association and Australia-China Friendship Society WA.  

While admitting it was daunting to test her Mandarin fluency in front of such a large audience, Miss Hamilton was determined to lead by example for her students. 

“The script was Shakespearean-like in its prose, with metaphors, idioms and complicated vocabulary,” she said.  

“It was very different from everyday spoken Mandarin. However, as someone who does not often get the opportunity to practise my Mandarin, I knew it would be good to push myself out of my comfort zone.”